Flying Kiwis – April 29
Callum McCowatt - Silkeborg IF (Danish Superliga)
When Silkeborg go well, it usually means that Callum McCowatt has gone well... and Callum McCowatt has been going very well lately. At a crucial stage of the season with the shadow of relegation looming, he’s risen to the call and keeps doing funky stuff like this...
Callum must have taken it personally when they subbed him off in the previous game with a two-goal lead (that they then promptly blew) because he took them on his shoulders in this one. He scored the goal that put them ahead against Vejle, then after conceding a quick equaliser he came back and won a penalty for Tonni Adamsen to convert. Adamsen also assisted McCowatt’s goal so once again it was the McCowatt/Adamsen show for Silkeborg. 28 games into the league season, those two had combined for 68% of the team’s Superliga goals.
It wasn’t always pretty and SIF left it late for that winner. But the 2-1 result is all that matters as they gave themselves some renewed confidence in these relegation rounds. This win also confirmed that opponents Vejle will be going down... sucks for them but it means one less rival for Silkeborg to worry about over the last couple games as they seek to save their own skins.
And would you believe it a few days later Callum McCowatt was back in the spotlight, though this time only peripherally as he settled for assisting a late clincher for Julius Lorents (89’) after Alex Simmelhack (8’) had already given Silkeborg the lead. They won 2-0 against Randers, meaning they’ve taken 10 points from the four games since that shocking 7-0 loss to Copenhagen. They should have won the game they drew too – that was the blown 2-0 lead after McCowatt was subbed. Fortunately, it’s looking like that won’t matter now because SIF have hauled themselves out of the relegation zone. McCowatt has a goal contribution in three consecutive games during that form surge. This was the assist...
He had a couple of chances to score in this one but couldn’t squeeze the ball beyond Aussie goalkeeper Paul Izzo between the sticks for Randers. No dramas there, he was due another assist. And Silkeborg were due someone else to score some goals. McCowatt has 11 goals and 3 assists for the campaign with a couple games left to add to the count. He’s been great all season and he’s been absolutely tremendous when they’ve needed him most.
Callum McCowatt: “Yeah, [my form] is all good. It’s steady so that’s okay. If I can contribute with goals or assists or even just good play then I'm happy. It's of course nice and it gives me a good feeling, but yeah, just in general around the team at the moment we feel we feel good and we're helping each other get through the tough times. Yeah, it's nice.”
And a Superliga Team of the Week nod for good measure (his sixth of the season)...
Up Next: Odense vs Silkeborg at 0:00 on Monday (NZT)
Chris Wood - Nottingham Forest (English Premier League)
It’s been eight months since the last time one of these happened...
The beauty of that goal is that it shows how valuable Chris Wood is to this (or any) team far beyond his reputation as a big man who scores headers. NFFC have been way better since Vitor Pereira took over as coach (must be something about those Portuguese managers) and that rise has peaked now that Chris Wood has been added to the formula. Yes, they’re benefiting from the target that he provides, the attention that he demands from opposition defenders, and probably a fair bit from his leadership and experience too. But this was a high pressin’ goal. Wood is so good at staying active and closing down passing lanes. He did that here to divert a pass into the feet of Morgan Gibbs-White who gave it straight back to him and The Woodsman doesn’t miss those.
This was not his first goal since the injury because of course he did score for the U21s on the way back... but it was his first Prem goal since the opening day of the season. Number 92 overall – very significant milestone as this draws him level with Mark Viduka who is Australia’s top Premier League scorer. Fitting that he would reach that milestone on Anzac weekend. And if you thought the choo-choo train celebration was a little different, he explains that here without actually explaining anything (it was an in-joke)...
The eleven that started against Sunderland was the eleven that began the second half against Burnley in the previous game and that unit was every bit as effective the second time around. NFFC targeted Sunderland’s build-up knowing that they rely excessively upon Granit Xhaka in those moments, shutting off those passes and then feasting on mistakes. They also targeted them at the back post from set pieces. Combine those factors and Forest found themselves 4-0 up at the break, going on to win 5-0 in a thoroughly convincing result that moves them a large step closer towards Premier League safety (and allows them to spare more focus for their Europa League semi-final against Aston Villa). Chris Wood put 88 minutes into his legs - the most he’s played since returning from knee surgery. Everything they wanted from this game, they got. It was a glorious afternoon.
Chris Wood: “Yeah, well and truly, it was a lovely performance by the boys. Definitely from start to finish, I think team done extremely well. [The first half] was extraordinary. They don't come around too often. Second half last week, first half this week. Four goals in each. It's a nice little confidence booster for everybody and something to build on for sure. You always want to get back on the score sheet as soon as possible. Morgs put it on a plate for me and I've been lucky enough to just put in the back of the net which is fantastic.”
Tottenham and West Ham also won this week so it wasn’t as perfect as it could have been but with only four games to go, keeping the status quo suits Nottingham Forest by far. They’re five points clear of Spurs. What an amazing time to discover prime form, going next level with that Morgan Gibbs-White, Omari Hutchinson, Igor Jesus, Chris Wood front four. In a couple of days they get to take that confidence into a continental semi-final.
Up Next: Nottm Forest vs Aston Villa in the Europa League semi-final first leg at 7am on Friday; then Chelsea vs Nottm Forest in the Prem on Tuesday at 5am (NZT)
Liberato Cacace - Wrexham (English Championship)
Oh what a beautiful sight. It would have been even more beautiful had he played but we’ll settle for Cacace simply being an unused substitute at this stage. After all we hadn’t seen him since early February. This was the fourth instance of Cacace missing several games with a muscle injury this season (having never had a muscle injury before in his life) and it turned out to be the longest of all the absences, sidelining him for two and a half months. But his national team coach had signalled to Stuff a few days earlier that he was very, very close...
Darren Bazeley: “[Cacace] was close to being involved [midweek] against Oxford United. He’s fully training. He feels good. He’s hoping he’ll be involved this weekend [vs Coventry].”
Good old Baze stepping in with the updates because there’d hardly been a peep out of Wrexham for ages... they must have gotten sick of repeating the same yarns. So, yes, Libby Cacace is fit enough to be playing football again and with luck we’ll see him get some get some action in the last round of the Championship campaign when they host Middlesbrough... and possibly beyond that too, because despite losing 3-1 to Coventry, the Red Dragons still hold sixth place thanks to Hull City’s ongoing stumbles (Hull have failed to win any of their last six games). Wrexham are equal on points with Hull but ahead thanks to a goal difference margin of one. Derby County are one point behind them both with superior goal difference. If Wrexham win against Middlesbrough then they’ll qualify for the playoffs as long as Hull don’t win by a bigger margin. If they do then Hull takes that spot instead. Or if they both fail to win then Derby can swoop through.
Hey so remember how Tyler Bindon wasn’t playing all of a sudden for Sheffield United? How the Blades appeared to be prioritising next season’s squad with nothing else to play for? Honestly, fair enough, that’s what they should be doing... but there is a limit to such thinking so when they found themselves 3-0 down at half-time against Blackburn Rovers the hook came out. They were really soft goals to concede too – one missing the offside trap, one not reacting to second and third phases in the box, and one a simple header from a simple cross which no defender closed out or competed for.
Hence Chris Wilder made four substitutions when the teams re-emerged with one of those being Tyler Bindon > Mark McGuinness... and they ended up only losing 3-1, winning the second half. Harrison Burrows pulled a goal back and they might have added another with a bit more luck. Bindon was really good, a rare instance of him playing as the right-sided CB and he was pinging passes all over the place putting his team on the front foot. His passing skills are quickly developing into one of his finest attributes. Alas, he picked up an ankle injury during the game and although he drew praise from his coach for battling on, the knock did rule him of the subsequent 3-2 loss against Preston North End. He’s a chance to return for the last fixture. Sheff Utd face Derby in that one so Bindon or no Bindon the Blades can do Libby Cacace a big favour by winning.
Marko Stamenić stayed busy with another ninety in the midfield for Swansea as they drew 1-1 with Norwich (conceding a penalty in the final ten minutes to let that one slip from their grasp). He also earned his 12th yellow card of the season for a high boot as he tried to control a ball in the Norwich box. Stam wasn’t too chuffed with the decision. Sorta think a dude’s entitled to play the ball when he’s already in possession but nevertheless. That puts him as one of five players with 12 bookings this Champo term: Matt Crooks and Lewie Coyle of Hull, Callum Syltes of West Brom, Flynn Downes of Southampton, and Marko Stamenić of Swansea. Top scorer gets the Golden Boot. Best player gets the Golden Ball. Marko Stamenić is in contention for the Golden Sprigs.
As for Max Crocombe, he had a nice view from the stands as Millwall won 3-1 against Stoke City and then drew 1-1 with Leicester City. Failing to beat an already-relegated team in that second match could be the difference between automatic promotion in second place and a playoffs effort in third, though Ipswich have a game in hand so it was never in Millwall’s control. At the very least, they’ll have home advantage in the playoff semis since they cannot finish any lower than fourth. If the season ended right here right now then Millwall would face Wrexham in those semis.
Up Next: Wrexham vs Middlesbrough at 11.30pm on Saturday (NZT)
Hannah Blake & Michaela Foster – Durham FC (English Super League 2)
Good things happen when Durham pick Hannah Blake and they’ve realised it just in the nick of time. After scoring in the draw against Bristol City last time out, Blake was retained on the left wing for the visit of Sheffield United – two relegation rivals in competition – with a sneaky twist elsewhere as Mickey Foster was selected in midfield rather than central defence (as we know she can play anywhere but usually it’s been CB duties this season). And although neither of them amongst the goals or assists, they both got full games within a solid team performance as Durham won 2-1 to confirm their place in WSL2 for another year.
Mariana Speckmaier (25’) and Deirdre Bradley (57’) got the goals for Durham... only the fourth goal of the campaign for former Wellington Phoenix striker Speckmaier, who scored twice in her first three games then only once in her next 12 league matches. Bit different to hitting double figures in both her A-League seasons but this one was massive (and she might have had another when Foster picked a brilliant ball over the top but Speck couldn’t bring it down). Foster played a big role in Speckmaier’s goal, drilling a low pass forward for Beth Hepple to flick it into Specky’s path.
Sheffield United responded well to conceding and would have levelled up but for some fine saves from Catriona Sheppard. Then that corner kick header from Bradley happened and Durham had some breathing room. A silly penalty conceded in the last few minutes made it sweaty but they held strong and with that they’re now safe. This was the first time that Blake played ninety minutes in any game this season. It wasn’t looking good for her a few months back when she was stuck on the bench while the team kept losing, however a change in manager and a bit of national team form seem to have swung her fortunes. Here’s an update of a vindicating stat from a few weeks back...
Durham with Hannah Blake on the pitch this season:
830 minutes | 17 goals scored (1.84 per90) | 15 goals conceded (1.63 per90)
Durham with Hannah Blake on the bench this season:
1080 minutes | 11 goals scored (0.92 per90) | 20 goals conceded (1.67 per90)
Twice as potent attacking-wise with Blake involved and no worse defensively. Glad they came to their senses just in time.
Ipswich Town have also managed to avoid the drop. They looked doomed midway through but some extensive January transfer mahi has turned things around – although sadly at the expense of Grace Neville’s starting right-back spot. She was very good for a losing team over the first half but got knocked down the pecking order in the new year and then spent a couple months out injured. The Neviller returned to the bench last week in a narrow loss against Crystal Palace. She was also on the bench for a 4-1 win over Sheffield United, a crucial win against one of their main relegation rivals, and then finally made her return with ten minutes in a stunning 3-0 win against Birmingham (who would have gone top with a win). That result means that they’re safe too and that Portsmouth have been relegated with a week to spare. Only one team goes down so that’ll do it. All the New Zealanders have steered clear of those woes.
Up Next: Newcastle vs Durham at Sunday at 2am (NZT)
Katie Kitching - Sunderland (English Super League 2)
The other two kiwis in WSL2 played against each other... sort of. Indi Riley is out injured at the moment (and usually only gets sparing minutes off the bench anyway) for Crystal Palace so she had nothing to do with the 2-1 win over Sunderland that keeps them in touch with automatic promotion back to the WSL with one round to go, guaranteed at least a playoff thanks to the top flight’s expansion. But Katie Kitching was there for Sunderland and supplied the assist for their goal as the Black Cats threatened a second-half comeback...
Nice feed there for the pace of Katy Watson. They couldn’t find a second though, Kitching being replaced after 75 minutes. Strangely, that was her first assist this season having been used further forward than in previous campaigns. Six goals and an assist in the league with an additional assist in the cup stuff. She’s two shy of hitting double figure goal contributions for the third year in a row with Sunderland. The club as had a tougher time of it this term, stuck in the bottom half of the competition, yet Kitching has been among their very best once again. Probably why she’s been awarded Supporters' Player of the Season...
Kitching was the club’s Player of the Season in 2024-25 and could be in the mix for that same honour again when this season’s award is announced. Makes you wonder if she might gather any transfer interest from WSL clubs... she’s 27 years old and a full international (captaining the Ferns in recent games and scoring the goal that qualified them for the next World Cup) with a pristine record over multiple years with SAFC. Surely worth a punt for someone (most likely a promoted team). Then again, she might also be comfortable where she is, with Sunderland having only in the past few weeks announced an ownership change.
The umbrella company that owns NWSL club Bay FC has bought a majority stake in Sunderland which at the very least oughta mean a boost in facilities and resources. Too soon to say what the specifics will be but the announcement claimed that Bay Collective is “leading the charge in redefining what is possible for women in sport”. How about that? Sunderland AFC still retains a minority stake in its own women’s team with the announcement emphasising a commitment “to honoring Sunderland Women’s DNA and legacy”. Of course, they spelled “honouring” with the American spelling. Sunderland are the second club within the collective.
Up Next: Ipswich vs Sunderland at Sunday at 2am (NZT)
Rebecca Lake - Thai Nguyen T&T (Vietnamese National League)
The career of Rebecca Lake has involved a lot of trophies. She was a crucial part of the golden era Canterbury United Pride squad that kept winning National Leagues every year (captaining them by the end of that run). Didn’t win much with the Wellington Phoenix during her two seasons, where injuries didn’t help her cause, but then she moved to Vancouver Rise where she helped then win the inaugural Northern Super League in Canada. Now she’s taking her championship credentials to... Vietnam!
Lake has joined Thai Nguyen T&T in the Vietnamese National League. She began training there within the past fortnight and was announced last week. They see her signing as a big coup that signals their legitimacy as they seek to become a contending team in their league, especially as they move into a brand new stadium this upcoming season. Thai Nguyen finished third in 2024 which was their best ever season. They were fourth last season, four points off leaders Ho Chi Minh City (who therefore got AFC Champions League entry). HCM City win it every year, they’re one of those teams.
Coach Doan Viet Trieu: “We appreciate Rebecca's ability and believe that she will quickly integrate with the team. This is a necessary addition for the team to aim for higher goals in their first season at Thai Nguyen Provincial Stadium.”
Here she is shoving some children around in a friendly against a local 13th grade boys team...
It’s not a long season in Vietnam. The National League there only has ten games with six clubs playing home and away. But there’s also cup stuff to help fill out the calendar and that kicks off in a couple of weeks. We’ve got professional footballers scattered all over the world, folks. Aotearoa is massive.
Up Next: Thai Nguyen vs Ha Noi 2 at 4am on Weds 13 May (NZT)
Ryan Thomas – PEC Zwolle (Dutch Eredivisie)
Always nice to run into an old club where you’re still remembered fondly. Things change so quickly in football that there probably aren’t many of Ryan Thomas’ old teammates left at PSV but the fanbase was the same as he led PEC Zwolle out of the tunnel at Philips Stadion – a celebratory Thursday evening for the locals as it was their first home game since clinching the Eredivisie championship (something Thomas never achieved during his time there, though PSV have now won three in a row).
PSV didn’t need to win this game but they did so anyway. They scored early through a Ricardo Pepi glanced header. It stayed at 1-0 for ages, with Thomas doing a heap of good defensive work within the performance, until Zwolle pinched an equaliser against the run of play thanks to Zico Buurmeester (51’). But Pepi did his thing again on 57’ to restore the lead and then Thomas was substituted with twenty minutes remaining... at which point it completely fell apart for Zwolle who conceded four more times to lose 6-1. Very comprehensive in the end. Safe to say the game peaked with this moment for Zwolle...
That only adds to what was already a glaring trend of Zwolle losing all defensive composure when their captain isn’t out there to make continuous effort plays in the midfield...
Thomas on field: 2076 minutes | 29 GF (1.26 per90) | 41 GA (1.78 per90)
Thomas off field: 714 minutes | 12 GF (1.5 per90) | 25 GA (3.15 per90)
This is also the first time that Thomas has exceeded 2000 minutes in a league season since the 2017-18 campaign when he was still with PEC Zwolle in his first stint. Amazing to have him back as prominent as he has been – there were times where that didn’t even seem possible during his darkest injury struggles – and also good to see that he hasn’t limped off with any precautionary issues for a wee while. He seems to have steadied things with the fixture list lately offering more room for rest and recovery in between games. Zwolle aren’t officially out of the relegation fire but with three games to go it’s only going to take one more point (or NAC Breda dropping points – they’ve not been the same since they iced Matt Garbett out).
Up Next: PEC Zwolle vs Heracles at 12.30am on Monday (NZT)
Ben Waine - Port Vale (English League One)
Sometimes it’s just one of those days. Ben Waine had been alternating starts and subs but he was on the bench away to Cardiff City (who’d confirmed their promotion in the previous game), subbed on with PVFC still hanging on at 0-0 but needing to find a winner in the last twenty minutes. They’d only had 26% of possession to that point and were struggling to find any joy in the attacking third at all. The struggle was not alleviated by Waineo. Cardiff scored after 78 minutes with a smooth cross and a back post header condemning the Vale to defeat and with that defeat came relegation. All confirmed, nothing left to be done about it.
Waine gave it a crack during his time on the pitch. He got one of the Cardiff defenders booked after turning him and earning a foul, then they took that free kick short with Waine running a channel but his shot was easily saved from a narrow angle. A much better chance came his way when Onel Hernández got around his marker to the byline and cross only for Waine to stab wide from six yards out – it got on him quickly but Port Vale didn’t have time for excuses, that needed to go in while there was still time to find a second. It didn’t. And to make matters worse...
Ben Waine remains under contract next season and the team has at least found some stability with Jon Brady as coach. They should go alright in League Two and with Ben Waine now finally a first team regular at one of his English clubs perhaps he’ll have a fruitful season at that level. We’ll see how it goes.
Relegation or not, Port Vale did bounce back with a 2-1 win away against Stockport midweek and look who got himself an assist in amongst...
The thing about that is for all his FA Cup heroics this season, and getting his professional career back on track (Waine Train pun intended)... he’d gone ten games without a goal or assist prior to this one. A lot of those were games where he was a substitute but regardless he needed a little something to snap the drought, especially following his miss in the Cardiff game. Task accomplished. He then got subbed at half-time in an attempt to spread the minutes around the squad now that there’s nothing else to play for. The best chance he had to score one for himself was a runaway where he got dragged back for a foul, the defender getting booked as a consequence.
Then there was Matt Garbett whose Peterborough side were rubbish in losing 3-1 to that same Stockport team over the weekend but rebounded adequately with a 0-0 draw away to Mansfield Town midweek. They weren’t much better in that one but fortunately they met a less motivated opponent and that single point gained was all they needed to officially avoid relegation. Phew. Their terrible late season efforts made that a much closer thing than it should have been. Matt Garbett played 66 mins in the Stockport game so only came off the bench in the other (short on match fitness as he is). It wasn’t until his introduction on the right wing that they looked any good. But yeah, job done for Posh who’ll be back in League One next season... whether Garbs remains with them or if they cash in on a chunky summer offer is another matter.
Nik Tzanev got to play for Huddersfield Town too! He was signed on a short term basis for half a season to be their third choice goalkeeper, not expecting to play, but Lee Nicholls suffered a concussion a couple weeks ago and Jak Alnwick got injured during the game against Mansfield and that meant GK3 was summoned into action at half-time of that match. And... the first shot he faced was a piledriver that flew past him for a goal. It was 2-0 at half-time, it was 4-1 at full time. The second goal he conceded was extremely soft, getting beaten by a bobbling shot from an angle he should never have conceded from. He might get another chance in the final game of the term when the Terriers face one of his old clubs in AFC Wimbledon.
Down in League Two, Harrogate Town won 2-0 away against Walsall to stay alive in their own relegation battle. Gonna need at least a point from their last game to get the job done but after consecutive wins they’re certainly capable of doing that. Henry Gray hasn’t been in the squad for either of those two wins so he’s presumably injured. Bit annoying that the final push is happening without him but his 18 appearances helped steady a very wobbly ship to put them in this position. Another positive loan experience for HG.
Up Next: Port Vale vs Lincoln City at 2am on Sunday (NZT)
Maya Hahn - Viktoria Berlin (German Bundesliga 2)
Quiz time for the German speakers amongst you. As for on-pitch happenings, Viktoria Berlin grabbed a 1-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt Reserves thanks to a 73rd min goal from Melissa Ugochukwu. Maya Hahn played the full game in midfield. She’s been a little in-and-out at times this season, largely due to her international commitments, but she’s started most games she’s been available for. 20 appearances in 2.Liga with 16 of those being from the outset. One goal and five yellow cards (Hahn’s been a more defensive-minded player for her club compared to what we see for the national team). Promotion was always going to be too much to ask in their first season at this level but with three games left they are on course to finish in the top five which would be an excellent return, something they can easily build upon next season.
Meanwhile, things have gotten a bit strange for Suya Haering with Carl Zeiss Jena up in the top division. The fact that they’re cruising towards a wooden spoon is no surprise, they were outmatched all along, but when Haering debuted for the Football Ferns at the start of March (called up as an injury replacement for Lara Wall), she’d just started six games in a row for Jena including dishing an assist in a rare win against Union Berlin. Next thing she was capped in an 8-0 win over Solomon Islands before starting against American Samoa in her second international. Results at club level weren’t flash but on the whole she was having a lovely time of it.
Not so much ever since. Haering missed one game straight after the international window, rested after the travel, then got subbed off at half-time of the next one. She has been an unused substitute in 2/3 Bundesliga matches from that point onwards and was only brought on in extra time (for 22 mins) in the German Cup semi-final where they drew 0-0 with Wolfsburg before being knocked out on penalties (Haering didn’t take one). Switching to a back four has meant LCB Steffi Schmid sliding out to LB and Haering has fallen back into the pack. She also wasn’t selected for the latest Ferns squad after other players in her position became available again. CZJ are on the brink of being relegated, needing to win all three remaining games, and Haering’s not really a factor at the moment. You have some ups and you have some downs in this sport, so it goes.
Up Next: Monchengladbach vs Viktoria at 0:00 on Monday (NZT)
Jacqui Hand - FC Basel (Swiss Super League)
That’s the goal that FC Basel conceded to lose 1-0 in the first leg of their Swiss Super League quarter-final away against St Gallen. Yael Aeberhard scored it after 62 minutes. By no means an insurmountable deficit ahead of the home leg but also by no means where they wanted to be at this stage. This was third (Basel) vs sixth (St Gallen) in the regular season standings.
Basel were without Danish striker Anna Krog, who like Jacqui Hand was signed in January to given them a mid-season attacking boost. She pulled up injured during the week. They also had veteran Slovakian defender Jana Vojteková red carded near the end of the match so she’ll be suspended for the second leg. Jacqui Hand got 70 minutes playing on the left wing but there wasn’t a lot going on. Pretty dull performance from FCB. Gotta be much better next week.
Down in the relegation rounds, Lara Colpi got 83 minutes in the midfield for FC Thun and with a 2-0 lead at half time things were going sweetly... until they conceded four times in the second spell to lose 4-2 against Yverdon Sport. The last two goals were scored after Colpi had been subbed. The situation is that the bottom two teams from the top flight and the top two teams from the second tier play home and away (so, six games) in a mini-league with the top two finishers earning Super League status for next season. Thun were at home against one of the second tier teams and blew a two-goal lead to lose. That’s not very promising... but still five more chances to fix things. Would be a wonky scenario if their men’s team win the championship while their women’s team get relegated in the same season.
Up Next: FC Basel vs St Gallen at 3am on Sunday (NZT)
Elijah Just – Motherwell (Scottish Premiership)
Motherwell had five players in the Scottish PFA’s Team of the Season unveiled last week (including Eli Just) and Rangers only had one. Coincidentally, five was also the number of games that Motherwell had gone since their last win. They’ve fallen away in the latter phase of the season, suddenly conceding goals and losing games. But they had a week off while the Scottish Cup semis were played in which to find some rejuvenation for the last few matches and yeah it looks like that extra rest worked for them...
This was a thrilling game in which Motherwell were 2-0 up at half-time (Lukas Fadinger 16’, Emmanuel Longelo 25’), then got dragged back to 2-2 (Youssef Chermiti 51’, Nicolas Raskin 70’), only to win it at the death thanks to a deflected shot from Longelo (90’) on the counter attack. 3-2 to Motherwell final score. Would have been even more fun with an Eli Just hat-trick but he let others have the shine this week with a relatively quiet 72 minutes of action. Huge win for Motherwell who move six points clear in fourth place thanks to Hibernian also losing. Also a really significant result in the title race allowing Hearts to move three clear at the top with Rangers dropping to third. Four more rounds to go in which all of the top six will get to face each other.
Speaking of that PFA Team of the Year, check out who’s been shortlisted for Player of the Year by the same co-workers...
Elijah Just: “This season has for sure exceeded my expectations. As a team we’ve gone above and beyond what people thought at the beginning of the year and it’s quite special to be standing here, the two of us, also having five of us in the Team of the Year is testament to how well we’ve performed and we’ve still got a few games to go and we’re looking to finish strong.”
The PFA awards are announced next Monday morning NZT.
In the bottom half, Kilmarnock are still on course for a relegation playoffs after losing 1-0 to Aberdeen. They conceded inside the first minute and then never managed a reply. Shockingly, this was the third away fixture in a row in which Killie have conceded within sixty seconds. George Stanger seems safely embedded in that Kilmarnock starting line-up now, having played every minute of the last five matches after not featuring at all for three straight months before that. They need to win a couple more games though.
Up Next: Falkirk vs Motherwell at 2am on Sunday (NZT)
Owen Parker-Price - Örgryte IS (Swedish Allsvenskan)
Örgryte played twice this week with both games at home. They lost 2-1 against Brommapojkarna and then drew 1-1 against Degefors. Nothing particularly noteworthy about that – it means that ÖIS have taken five points from five games to give themselves a reasonable start after being promoted. Simply avoiding an immediate relegation would probably be seen as a successful season for them (and not having any more 8-1 defeats like they did last week would also be high on the priority list). That’s all fine.
But you’ve gotta know that Owen Parker-Price has started all five fixtures this season and is looking superb. True to his Ole Academy roots, he’s playing like a Ryan Thomas clone getting heaps of touches, mostly at the base of midfield, and completing a high percentage of his passes whilst always trying to move the team forward. Despite his size, he’s also digging in defensively ranking pretty highly compared to other midfielders in the division. He’s only been substituted once (during the 8-1 shellacking vs Hammarby last week, where they conceded four of those games without him). This from SvenskaFans.com after the draw with Degefors...
“[OPP] was constantly available, quick with his feet, and misplaced very few passes. It seems that Owen slowly but surely, more and more, is getting accustomed to the pace of the Allsvenskan and yesterday, in my opinion, he was ÖIS’s best player. When he uses his quick feet and is as intelligent and efficient as he was yesterday, it leads to increased possession, which in itself means that ÖIS are able to gain more control in games.”
There’s nothing about these performances that’ll make headlines but just jot this idea down for when he inevitably does. OPP could have been forgiven for needing a few months to adapt to this level of footy having spent so long down in the lower leagues... instead it’s only taken a few games.
That’s a whole lot better than how the season’s tracking for Kees Sims after five rounds. He started game one and GAIS went alright in a narrow loss. He made a big blunder in the second game as they were defeated again. Then he got dropped and previous third-choice Andreas Hermansen (a new signing this year) has surpassed him with the last three starts. Despite having qualified for Europe last year, GAIS are yet to win a game... but they have at least managed a couple of draws in Hermansen’s outings and it won’t be long until regular number one Mergim Krasniqi reclaims his throne having already played an U21s game. This time last year there was a rumour linking Sims to English Championship club Coventry... well, Coventry just got promoted to the Premier League and Sims might be about to fall to third-choice goalkeeper at GAIS so the ol’ agent might want to put in a few calls. Adversity is often beneficial to young footballers in the long run.
This is becoming a jumbo edition of Flying Kiwis and we do wanna get it finished so let’s breeze through the rest of the Scandi folks in this section. Nothing else to say from Sweden as the Damallsvenskan stuff only provided four minutes off the bench for Milly Clegg in Vittsjö’s 1-0 loss away to Piteå while Gabi Rennie’s Eskilstuna United didn’t have a game. It’s not much for Clegg but she’s already surpassed her total minutes for Racing Louisville in the season she spent with them in the NWSL. She’s gotta work her way in at a new club at a higher level than what she’s experienced in the A-League or in Canada. No dramas there.
Over in Norway, Joe Bell played his 130th league game for Viking FK as they won 2-1 away against Fredrikstad to make it five wins in a row. Bell’s been quietly efficient throughout that run although he didn’t finish this game. Got subbed with twenty to go, first time he’s spent off the pitch after six Eliteserien games, and it appears he may be battling through a minor muscle injury. They’re hoping he’s fine for the next game. Gianni Stensness had a blinder there scoring Viking’s second goal with a superb header from a Zlatko Tripic corner kick.
Already mentioned Callum McCowatt in his own section but there’s also Dalton Wilkins in the Danish Superliga. Albeit not this week. He missed Sønderjyske’s 3-0 win over Brøndby with an unspecified injury to break up a run of five consecutive substitute appearances. Hopefully nothing more than a niggle for a dude who has been so cursed with injuries in his career.
Elsewhere in that fine nation, Nordsjælland won 2-0 against Fortuna in a crucial result that moves them within one point of their opponents who currently occupy third spot (and the last ticket to Champions League qualifiers). If you missed the memo, Grace Wisnewski has been playing centre-back for FCN for the last two months and she was very busy in this game getting lots of touches for a team with 65% possession. Nordsjælland should have won by a lot more (xG was 3.89 to 0.47 in a 2-0 win) – the Wiz contributed to that with a shot blocked from in the area late first half while up for a corner. Wisnewski was subbed with five minutes to go in a double change that saw Malia Steinmetz chucked on for her third appearance post-ACL recovery.
Also, FC København lost 3-0 to FC Midtjylland which leaves them third out of six teams at the halfway stage (five games played) of the promotion/relegation rounds. Need to get top two for promotion (Midtjylland are leading the way). Looks like Ally Green was an unused substitute.
Up Next: GAIS vs Örgryte at 2.30am on Monday in the Allsvenskan (NZT)
Helena Errington – FH Hafnarfjörður (Icelandic Besta Deild)
One more Scandi check-in and this one stands on its own because it was a debut for Helena Errington over in Iceland. Substituted on as an attacking midfielder with a dozen minutes for FH Hafnarfjarðar away to Þór/KA. They were trying to close out the game when Errington joined but that’s not how it ended. Instead they suffered a disappointing 1-1 draw after conceding in the 90th minute when one of their centre-backs slipped on the turf in her own penalty area under minimal pressure. Equaliser out of nothing. That’s... unfortunate. But a debut for Errington in the first game of the season bodes well after she spent the entirety of last season stuck on the bench (when she could even get that close) in the American lower leagues. Similar situation to Clegg where the Scandinavians have spotted what the Americans were too foolish to see.
Up Next: Throttur vs FH at 7.15am on Friday (NZT)
Ben Old - AS Saint-Étienne (French Ligue 2)
It was a game with the potential to determine which direction the Ligue 2 championship would go... and Saint-Étienne got smacked 3-0 at home by leaders Troyes. Ah well, there goes that dream. ASSE conceded goals on 53’, 89’, 90+6’... hence it was close for most of the way, Les Verts just couldn’t find a goal when they needed one. Ben Old played the full thing at left-back as if it even needs to be said. The first goal took a slight deflection off his calf as he rushed to close down the shooter, the second was a horrendous goalkeeping error, the third was a last-gasp counter attack. Yeah, that one got away from them and with it goes any hope of lifting the trophy. Troyes need one additional point over the last two rounds to seal the deal and even if they lose both ASSE can’t be the ones to catch them.
Focus shifts instead to earning promotion. Le Mans have jumped one point ahead of ASSE despite only drawing their own match. Second place gets automatic promotion. Third place goes into the playoff semis. Once they get to the playoffs, fourth and fifth face each other to see who meets third place in the playoffs. Then the winner of that semi faces the third-to-last team from Ligue 1. Saint-Étienne face Rodez (A - 6th) and Amiens (H - 18th) in their last two fixture while Le Mans will meet Reims (H - 5th) and Bastia (A – 17th), very similar tasks in terms of opponosition strength. Just gotta go get it done.
Over in the women’s Premiere Ligue, Dijon played twice but there was nothing much to write home about. Kate Taylor came off the bench for the last 25 minutes in a 4-0 loss against newly crowned champs Lyonnes, brought on to prevent it from getting any worse and since all four goals were scored before her introduction that seems to have worked. Then they played Paris FC where Taylor started and got 80 minutes, replaced near the end as they chased an equaliser that wasn’t to be in a 2-1 defeat. These were expected defeats against the two top teams in the country. This does mean that Dijon cannot make the top four though. They’ve got one match left and it’s a winnable one away to Marseille so hopefully they can finish on a positive note.
Up Next: Rodez vs ASSE at 6am on Sunday (NZT)
Tilly James – Calgary Wild (Canadian Northern Super League)
Meikayla Moore didn’t play for the Football Ferns in the most recent window despite travelling, that’s because she was dealing with a lingering injury. That’ll be why she was only an unused substitute for Calgary Wild’s first game of the season: she’s not a hundy percent fit right now. But with one kiwi absent, another one was given a spotlight with Tilly James getting ninety minutes as the right-sided central defender in a back four. Very likely that she was a direct fill-in for Mouse in that spot.
James was with Calgary last year but only played three times, spending most of that season recovering from a serious knee injury. Not a name that’s gotten much traction – in part because she’s often incorrectly listed as having been born in Canada – but that could change in a hurry as she enters the 2026 campaign fully fit and ready to make an impact. TJ has played youth futsal for NZ already. Her sister Ella James is a current Futsal Fern who went to the World Cup last year. This in her own words...
Tilly James: “It's so funny. I feel like every time like I say I'm from New Zealand, people hear me talk and they're like... yeah? When I met Ally and Mouse for the first time, I felt so fake being like, ‘Hey, my family's from there!’ But, no, I was born in New Zealand. My whole family was except for my little brother. So my whole lineage, everybody's from New Zealand. When I was about two we moved to Vancouver, Canada for my mum's job - she worked for a Canadian company. And through her work, we had the privilege of growing up in some really cool places: we spent five years in Vancouver and then went to Dallas, Texas for five years, back to New Zealand for five years, and then moved back to Vancouver. It wasn't until university when I actually started and finished [at the same] school.”
Right on. James is a versatile defender who can play on the edges as well as through the middle so she’s not necessarily reliant on Moore being unavailable. This was a tough game against the Montral Roses though, losing 2-0 with Montreal playing constant long passes in behind to get the Calgary defence turned around. James did make an awesome last-ditch tackle at around 72 mins that made the highlights package. Hopefully we can get a Moore/James combo at some stage soon to bring about a few victories.
Up Next: Away to Ottawa at 9am on Sunday (NZT)
Finn Surman - Portland Timbers (American Major League Soccer)
On Anzac weekend it was the Kiwi/Aussie centre-back duo of Alex Boniteg and Finn Surman who were the heroes for Portland Timbers as they won 2-1 away against San Diego. Two struggling teams, the type of game that Portland needs to win in order to climb up the ladder to where they feel they should be. Full credit to Boniteg who scored the injury time winner and got picked for MLS Team of the Week and all that good stuff... but his moment wouldn’t have been nearly so valuable had Finn Surman not made a typically courageous block down the other end in the time that remained, getting his chest in front of a thumping volley that was flying towards the top corner.
That was blocked shot #19 for Surman this season, extending his MLS-wide lead. He’s also fourth for defensive clearances (which he led the MLS for in 2025). Finn Surman and James Pantemis are the only Portland players who have played all 810 minutes thus far. He’s fantastic for them every single week, the consistency is off the charts. And you know what else? He captained them in this game... and they still won. This was the sixth time that he’s captained the Timbers and in the previous five they’d gone 0W-1D-4L. There goes an unwanted streak, batted away just like he batted away that shot at the end there.
Also, good news from Minnesota where Michael Boxall is apparently close to a return. Darren Bazeley has said he’d be playing already if they weren’t being cautious with him. No need to rush him when they’re fifth in the Western Conference as it is.
Up Next: Real Salt Lake vs Portland at 8.45am on Sunday (NZT)
Thomas Raimbault - Carolina Core (American MLS Next Pro)
Another assist for Thomas Raimbault, damn son. That’s four games in a row with a goal contribution, adding up to one goal and five assists in seven MLS Next Pro appearances. Somehow even with that production, his team hasn’t won a game yet. Three losses and four draws and it was only in this game against Crown Legacy (were Bill Tuiloma played a few keep-fit games during his time with Charlotte FC) that they won the requisite penalty shootout that follows all Next Pro draws (for no significant reason other than Americans being obsessed with PeeKays). But if Raimbault is doing this for a team near the bottom of the standings then he’s got something about him.
Up Next: Carolina Core vs Atlanta United 2, Sunday at 10am (NZT)
Zac Jones - AFC Fylde (English National League North)
46 games played. 32 wins, 4 draws, 10 losses. Goal difference of +61. Points tally of exactly 100. That was the formula for AFC Fylde to be crowned champions of the National League North after winning 4-2 away against Merthyr Town in the final game. Zac Jones played every minute of that campaign after joining from Haverfordwest County in Wales. 51 goals conceded in those 46 games with 13 clean sheets. Superb effort from him in his first season in England, earning promotion to the fifth tier – which is where Tommy Smith has been playing with Braintree although not any longer because they just got relegated. Braintree did give some good minutes to Matt Dibley-Dias in the last couple months though, that was cool.
Back to Jonesy, he’s 25 years old and there’s a club option to extend his contract by another year. He’s just been a key figure in winning a championship and earning promotion. Has already played European football while with Haverfordwest. NZ U17s and U20s international. Former Wellington Phoenix Reserves gloveman (and who knows they might even put in a call to try bring him back after this, with the indication being that they’d like to go back to having a local goalkeeper). He’s building a pretty impressive resume and he just got a winners’ medal to show for it.
Up Next: Celebrations... and then a chat about that second-year contract option
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